The ability to vote is an American citizen's fundamental right and civic duty. It is a cornerstone of our country's democratic system. In today's polarizing political climate, the issue and debate of election integrity and voter identification laws is as heated and divisive as ever. There are strong arguments by those supporting stronger ID laws for voting, as well as by opposition who believe more strict ID laws infringe on an American's right to vote. To frame this in a simpler political context, it is Republicans and these laws, while Democrats and liberals fight to soften or remove them altogether. .
Most liberal groups suggest or make assumptions that laws mandating an individual to produce a photo ID before they can vote is a form of discrimination intended to hinder or suppress voter turnout especially among minorities. Republicans claim such laws validate elections, as one illegal vote negates a legal vote. While both sides of the debate will be discussed and analyzed, the purpose of this writing is to advocate for the strengthening of voter identification laws. .
Voter fraud is a real issue that is constantly an attack on our democratic system. Voter identification laws were established to ensure that citizens register to vote as their own identity and not someone else. While an ultimate solution for this problem has not been decided on, Republicans are strong advocates for the usage of voter identification. This is to ensure that whomever is going to the polls is exactly who they say they are, and happens to still be alive. This is a common sense solution that has come under attack by numerous Democrats, stating that this is merely a direct attack on minorities and the elderly who can not obtain a sufficient form of identification. They also claim that voter fraud is not nearly as big of a dilemma as Republicans make it out to be. The argument that minorities and the elderly cannot possibly obtain any form of proper identification is simply political rhetoric.
